Newel K. Whitney Home

When Joseph and Emma Smith arrived in Kirtland about February 1, 1831 they were taken in by Newel K. and Ann Whitney and shared their home with them for four to six weeks. During this period Joseph received four revelations in the Whitney home which became sections of the Doctrine and Covenants. On February 4, 1831 a revelation was given (D&C 41) where the Lord said the church would receive His law and know how to govern His Church. The saints were instructed to build a house where Joseph Smith could live and translate.  Edward Partridge was called as the first bishop in the church and the office and duties of bishop were outlined. On February 9, 1831 a revelation was given fulfilling the Lord’s promise previously made that the “law” would be given in Ohio. Elders are to go out two by two to preach. Ordinations are to be given by one having authority and it be known by the Church that he has authority. You are to teach by the spirit. Several of the ten commandments were repeated and the law of consecration was given (D&C 42). A third revelation was given in the Whitney home in February 1831 that none other shall receive revelations and commandments for the Church other than he who is appointed. In the Millennium Satan shall be bound (D&C 43). A conference of the church was to be held. The saints are to take care of the poor and needy (D&C 44).  (The Whitney home is also the probable location where D&C 72 and 78 were received).

Newel Kimball Whitney was born in Marlborough, Vermont, in 1795.  Elizabeth Ann Smith was born in Connecticut on December 26, 1800. Both ended up in the Kirtland area on the Western Reserve. Newell and Ann (as she preferred to be called) were married October 20, 1822. They both had a desire to seek after religious truth and earnestly studied the bible together, endeavoring to live according to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Around 1828, the Whitneys became acquainted with Sidney Rigdon, a Reformed Baptist minister in Mentor, and joined his Disciples of Christ Church.

Newel and Ann had a remarkable experience one night as they were praying. It was if they were enveloped in a cloud and they felt the spirit of the Lord. They heard a voice out of the cloud saying, “Prepare to receive the word of the Lord, for it is coming to Kirtland.” In early November 1830, four Mormon missionaries (Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt, Ziba Peterson and Peter Whitmer Jr.)  on their way to preach to the Indian Nation on the frontier, stopped off in Mentor, Ohio to visit Sidney Rigdon. Parley P. Pratt had studied with Sidney and wanted to testify that, once again, divine priesthood authority had been given to man on earth. Within a short time Sidney and Phebe Rigdon were baptized and Newel and Ann Whitney were baptized as well in November of 1830.

Around 1824 the Whitneys built a modest frame home near the store (Pix #1, #2). Eight children were born there before 1838. The new house was 28 1/2 feet x 25 1/2 feet with a summer kitchen attached (Pix #3). The pantry (Pix #4) leads into the keeping room and kitchen, the busiest room in the house (Pix #5). It served as a combination kitchen, dining room, general workroom and recreation center. The fireplace dominated the room (pix #6). The Whitney bedroom (Pix #7) was off the parlor.  The only chair in the bedroom is original and belonged to the Whitneys (Pix #8) The front door opened directly into the parlor (Pix #9), where guests were received.  When Joseph and Emma arrived in Kirtland and were taken in by the Whitneys, they insisted that Joseph and Emma stay in their bedroom, especially where Emma was six months pregnant with twins. Newel and Ann stayed upstairs with the children.

It was in the parlor (Pix #9) that one of the first healings in the church took place. Else Johnson had a bad arm she hadn’t been able to use for two years. When her son, Lyman, joined the church and told his parents about the Book of Mormon and that there was a prophet in Kirtland, Elsa and John were upset and called on their preacher, Ezra Booth, to counsel them. He came over and they stayed up most of one night comparing the Book of Mormon with the Bible and became convinced the Book of Mormon was the word of God. Elsa knew that a prophet could heal her arm so the Johnson’s, the Booths and their physician got in the sleigh and were on their way to Kirtland. In the parlor of the Whitney home Elsa asked the Prophet Joseph Smith to heal her arm. He asked her if she had faith in Jesus Christ to have her arm healed and she said she did, so Joseph commanded that her arm be made whole and from that moment it was healed and was as good as her other arm.